Photoshop's Type Capability

As the subject of type and text in Photoshop is discussed, it's
important to keep one basic concept in mind: Photoshop is an image-editing
program. It is not designed to be a page layout program, nor a word processor.
As such, don't consider Photoshop's type-handling capabilities to be
substandard; rather, think of them as a bonus. If you have large amounts of text
to add to a document, or need to work with very small type, consider Adobe
InDesign or Adobe Illustrator.

Just a few versions in the past, Photoshop's type capability was restricted
to creating masks in the shape of letters. (The biggest problem with type masks
is that the type isn't live. You can't edit the words or change the
typographic attributes without re-creating the entire type element (see Figure
11.1).

Figure
11.1 After the type is set, it becomes nothing more than filled pixels.
Changing the font or even one misspelling might mean re-creating the entire
image when type is added as a mask.

» Photoshop still offers type masks; their use is discussed in "The
Type Tools," later in this chapter.

Vector Type

As discussed in Chapter 6, "Pixels, Vectors, and Resolution," there
are numerous advantages to vector artwork. For example, when printed with a
PostScript output device, the edges remain crisp and clean, without the so-called
jaggiesthe visible stair-step edges of pixels along a curve. Vector artwork
can be scaled in an illustration program or by a PostScript printer and still
retain those high-quality edges. Because it consists of mathematically defined
paths, it can also be manipulated in ways impossible with raster art. Figure
11.2 shows the difference between scaling vector type and raster type.

Figure
11.2 The original letters are shown for comparison. Notice the dramatic
difference in quality when vector and rasterized type are scaled to 400%.

The primary advantage of raster art is its capability of reproducing fine
transitions and gradations in color. Because type is usually a single color,
that is not of particular value. However, Photoshop's vector type can be
rasterized whenever necessary.

Saving Images with Type

The difference between vector and rasterized type is primarily of importance
during the creation process and when preparing artwork for placement in a page
layout program. In most other circumstances, the type is automatically
rasterized. Remember that with the exception of scalable vector graphics (SVG),
a format that is not supported by Photoshop, Web artwork is raster. Similarly,
inkjet printers don't take advantage of vector type. (Only PostScript
printers can actually work with vectors as such.) When outputting to an inkjet
printer, saving images for the Web, or using a non-PostScript file format, type
is automatically rasterized.

CAUTION

EPS, PDF, and DCS support vector type when saving from Photoshop. However,
reopening any of these image formats in Photoshop results in rasterization.
After you save a file with vector text in one of these formats, don't
reopen it in Photoshop. It's a good idea to keep the original in
Photoshop's own .psd format.

In Photoshop, the PostScript file formats, those that support vectors, are
limited to Photoshop (.psd), Encapsulated PostScript (.eps), Portable Document
Format (.pdf), and Desktop Color Separations (.dcs). The enhanced TIFF file
format can also support vector type layers, but full implementation of the
format's advanced features outside Photoshop is virtually nonexistent.

When saving files as TIFF, Photoshop offers the option of saving layers.
Unless your print shop specifically approves, don't use layers in TIFF
images. And if you won't be sending the image out, there's little
advantage to enhanced TIFF over Photoshop's .psd format.

When saving in a format that can maintain vector artwork or type, you'll
need to ensure that the Include Vector Data option is selected. In Figure
11.3, you can see the check boxes for the various PostScript file format
options. Note that both the EPS and the DCS option dialog boxes warn about reopening
files in Photoshop, but the PDF dialog box does not.

Figure
11.3 EPS, PDF, and DCS file formats all offer (but don't require) saving
vector data in a file. If there are no vector paths in the image, the option
is grayed out.

These three file formats (and enhanced TIFF) are the only formats supported
by Photoshop that do not rasterize type.

Point and Paragraph Type

In addition to the differentiation between vector and raster, type in Photoshop
can be categorized as point type or paragraph type. Point type is added to a
document at a specific location (or point) in the image. In contrast, paragraph
type (also called area type) fills a portion (or area) of the image. Figure
11.4 illustrates the difference.

Figure
11.4 Point type is often used for single lines of text, such as headlines,
and paragraph type is used for large blocks of text. Note the difference between
the transform bounding box (top) and the paragraph type container (bottom).

There are a number of important differences between the two types of
type:

Point type continues in a straight line unless you press the (Return)
[Enter] key to insert a line break. Paragraph type automatically wraps to the
next line when the text reaches the boundary of its box.

The space occupied by point type continues to expand as more characters
are added. Paragraph type is restricted to the designated rectangle; characters
that don't fit in the rectangle are hidden.

Point type is added from the specific spot in the image where the Type
tool was clicked. Paragraph type is added from the top of the bounding
box.

To add point type, click with a Type tool. For paragraph type, drag with
a Type tool to create a rectangle to fill with the type.

Resizing the bounding box around point type scales the type. Resizing the
container rectangle for paragraph type forces the text to reflow within the
container; the type maintains its original size and proportion.

Consider point type to be similar to headlines in a newspaper or magazine. It
typically occupies one line, but might require two or three lines. To add lines,
type to the desired width, press (Return) [Enter] to move to the next line, and
continue typing.

Paragraph type, on the other hand, can be compared to the body text of a
newspaper or magazine. It flows from one line to the next, and if you go back to
the beginning and add a word, the text repositions itself, automatically
adjusting the line breaks. This is called reflowing.

Think, if you will, of the difference (or one of the differences) between a
typewriter and a word processor. With a typewriter, you must be aware of the
warning bell that indicates you've reached the end of a line, the edge of
the paper. You then advance the paper, return to the left margin, and begin
typing on the next line. With a word processor, you can continue typing and the
text will automatically wrap from line to line.

With a typewriter, if you need to go back to the first line to add a word,
the length of that line is thrown off. If it's a long word, you can't
just erase the top line and retype it; you have to retype the entire paragraph.
Adding a word to the opening line with a word processor simply moves all the
text to the right and, if necessary, down to the next linethe text reflows.
A comparison is shown in Figure 11.5.

Figure
11.5 Compare the pairs. Observe how adding a single word extends the point
type past the acceptable boundary, but simply causes the paragraph type to reflow
without affecting the width of the type container.

Working with Type Layers

As long as type remains part of a type layer, it remains editable. You can
return to the type layer at any time and make changes to the character and
paragraph characteristics, or edit the text itself. After the layer is
rasterized or merged or the image is flattened, the type can no longer be edited
as type. (You can, of course, edit the pixels, but you cannot, for example,
highlight a word with the Type tool and overtype to correct a spelling
error.)

In many ways, type layers are comparable to other non-background layers. Layer
styles can be applied, type layers can be moved in the Layers palette, they
can become part of a layer set, and adjustment layers can be applied (see Figure
11.6).

Figure
11.6 The Layers palette indicates what effects and adjustments have been
applied to the type layers.

A type layer is always indicated by the letter T in place of a layer
thumbnail in the Layers palette. Like other layers, you can click on the
layer's name and rename it. (By default, Photoshop names a type layer using
the first characters of the layer's content.) You can change the blending
mode and opacity of a type layer and create layer-based slices from type
layers.

Unlike other non-background layers, you cannot add pixels to a type layer.
You cannot paint on a type layer, nor can you stroke or fill a selection. The
adjustment tools (Blur, Sharpen, Dodge, Burn, Sponge, Smudge) cannot be used on
type layers.

Warping Type

Among the most fun tools in Photoshop is Warp Text. You can apply preset distortions
to type and customize their effects, and the type remains completely editable.
You can apply layer styles to the warped text as well (see Figure
11.7).

The Warp Text dialog box can be opened with the button to the right of the
color swatch in the Options Bar (when a Type tool is active) or with the menu
command Layer, Type, Warp Text. The dialog box allows you to select any of 15
shapes and then use three sliders to adjust the result (see Figure
11.8).